159 Comments

It’s just the stupid.

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Wow- yes this nails it. I’d add that the cultural economy writ large ( entertainment, sports, soc media) is *not* something they really need to deal with in person in their lives. These folks in the Midwest , this is where it’s most dissonant. I’ve lived and worked this past year in a rural red area, in a public school sys- I ve also lived and worked in a blue urban area. The folks in the heartland do not experience diversity in any true sense of the word - not of race, not of religion, not of gender Id or sexuality. But they care because they don’t want anyone living “that way” -> they want everyone, all the millions who don’t live their way, to conform.

Well a lot of folks were born into and LEFT those communities because they didn’t want to live their way- they wanted diversity and tolerance of diversity. There are many who don’t move to these communities because they’re not safe - they don’t fit in. I would not say it’s a dying way of life- it coexists within the larger US- but the urban extreme diversity dominates entertainment /sports/soc media - BECAUSE iTs more NOVEL and MORE interesting -> no one is going to be that entertained by what’s going down in rural red America. So they do want to tell everyone else how to live - when they could just shutoff the stream of info and watch reruns and be perfectly happy. There are no drag Queen story hours in that neck of the woods.

Just see the comparison between the 2 conventions - RNC was boring af. Bc the cultural Econ is staid , it lacks vitality , it is old. Honestly , some of those rallies where T danced reminded me of my dad watching James Last or Lawrence Welk. The dog at the RNC reminded me of a heehaw skit.

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Because of how we teach “history,” modern folks cannot make the connection between what we have now and the times pre-Regan and post-Regan.

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Spot on

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No, it is the economy. You just have no idea what any of the statistics you quote MEAN. And, you haven’t done any research into the distribution of wealth and income; otherwise you’d know.

The funniest part is that you point to exactly WHY in one of your first paragraphs; the lives of the poor haven’t gotten better at all in the last 30 years, which you can PROVE by looking at the survey of consumer finances. Why the fuck would anyone vote for “business as usual” dems, when they offer nothing?

For poor, black, and brown people (not mutually exclusive groups), the US is already fascist, and has been. The oppressive power of the state and the means-tested Byzantine bureaucracy has ALREADY blocked their access to things like abortion, healthcare; everything white libs are suddenly worried of losing. So forgive me if I don’t buy your “marketplace of caring for each other” bullshit, or whatever twaddle you’re trying too sell

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The Dems abandoned the working and middle class a long time ago. Clinton was a great republican- Nafta, rolling back of glass-steagal, deregulation of the media - which paved the way for our current media state. Then Obama bailed out the banks and not the people destroyed by them. Remember Obamas main campaign theme was Freedom of Choice which he abandoned even with Dems in control of congress. So Obama deserves some fault with situation we are in now. Now Dems are war mongers and with Twitter files - we now know they are against free speech. Let’s not forget they skipped a primary and anointed Harris. For me Genocide is a red line so i couldn’t vote for either party. If voting for Trump makes you a racist then voting for Harris maybe it’s your islamophobia.

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https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/a79325-report-special-rapporteur-violence-against-women-and-girls-its

"Female athletes have lost nearly 900 medals to transgender rivals competing against them in women’s sporting categories, an eye-opening United Nations report has revealed.

The study — titled “Violence against women and girls in sports” — stated that more than 600 female athletes have been bested at various events by competitors who were born male.

“According to information received, by 30 March 2024, over 600 female athletes in more than 400 competitions have lost more than 890 medals in 29 different sports,” the report said.

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W.A.P. was dropped during the Trump administration.

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Uggh! Matt! You're "that guy? " These people want to erase your sacred history.. they deny the Holocaust ever happened.. that's who you voted for.. I did try to understand.. I hope your family stays safe I really do. Hopefully because you voted in a Demacrat Sate you will be safe ..

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No. After the financial crisis of 2007-2008, those folks invested in the market loss ground but much of their wealth was regained by 2011. Are your people in that category? Many other folks in places like Michigan and Wisconsin lost pensions and jobs and it wasn’t until about 2016 they started to get some of it back. The financial collapse was the final failure of the neoliberal influence. Dems can’t keep talking about how good the economy is because it isn’t; not for the many disabused white folks voting against the status quo and turning away from their better angels and toward demagoguery as if that might restore their economy.

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It can be many thing, Nathan. There is the artificially fed perception of Econ, there is an actual Econ (transfer of wealth) , AND there is the cultural economy . Just seems for all the complaining about the price of eggs, there were an awful lotta people eating out at Perkins in the red Midwest where I lived- no shortage of middle class taking trips, eating out, shopping at hobby lobby… lotsa trucks too - nice ones.

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Great article! I fear for our future in a Dicktator-ship!

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After the election the Democratic Party (my party) must rethink many of its policies as it ponders its future.

To be entrusted with power again Democrats must start listening to the concerns of the working class for a change. As a lifelong moderate Democrat I share their disdain for many of the insane positions advocated by my party.

Democrat politicians defy biology by believing that men can actually become women and belong in women’s sports, rest rooms, locker rooms and prisons and that children should be mutilated in pursuit of the impossible.

They believe borders should be open to millions of illegals which undermines workers’ wages and the affordability of housing when we can’t house our own citizens.

They discriminate against whites, Asians and men in a vain effort to counter past discrimination against others and undermine our economy by abandoning merit selection of students and employees.

Democratic mayors allow homelessness to destroy our beautiful cities because they won't say no to destructive behavior. No you can’t camp in this city. No you can’t shit in our streets No you can’t shoot up and leave your used needles everywhere. Many of our prosecutors will not take action against shoplifting unless a $1000 of goods are stolen leading to gangs destroying retail stores. They release criminals without bond to rob and murder again.

The average voter knows this is happening and outright reject our party. Enough.

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Michael, what happened to the 9th episode of “Have I Got News For You”? Did CNN bounce it out of fear of retribution? I thought at first I did something wrong and didn’t get it recorded. But no, on demand says there are 9 episodes, but when you look for that last one, it’s nowhere to be found.

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We were off for Election Week. Back for the 9th and 10th eps. next week and the next. Then, hiatus. Then, who knows?

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Thank you. Really enjoying the program. Wishing you much success.

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Thank for this! So on point

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Trump's 2017 'tax cuts', added an additional 12% tax bracket, increasing taxes for the working poor, seniors, disabled and part-time workers. Source: David Cay Johnston's media/appearances

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And we lost the deduction for state and local taxes.

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